[2015 Super Rugby] Crusaders vs.Hurricanes (Round 16) 29/05/2015

[TRF_stormer2010]

Date : Friday 29 May 2015
Venue : Trafalgar Park, Nelson
Kick Off local: 19:35 local, 17:35 AEST, 09:35 SAST
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe
Assistant Ref 1:Kane McBride
Assistant Ref 2:Richard Kelly
TMO : Chris Wratt​

 

[MotherRucker1]

Crusaders: Tom Taylor, Nafi Tuitavake, Robbie Fruean, David Havili, Nemani Nadolo, Dan Carter, Mitchell Drummond, Jordan Taufua, Richie McCaw (captain), Matt Todd, Jimmy Tupou, Luke Romano, Owen Franks, Ben Funnell, Alex Hodgman. Reserves: Codie Taylor, Tim Perry, Nepo Laulala, Dominic Bird, Luke Whitelock, Andy Ellis, Kieron Fonotia, Jone Macilai.

The good:

• Dan Carter has looked better when starting at 10, rather than 12 this season

• Robbie Fuean is back - yay! We need somebody with the ability to break defenses with power. As good as Fonotia and Crotty are, they have not offered us that in 2015

• Positive to see Matt Todd get a start in the 15. I think we do better when he's in the loose trio.

• Tom Taylor made a reasonable fist of fullback last week, let's hope he can continue on.

The bad:

• Sorry, but I'm not sold on David Havili. Has done nothing of great significance on the wing anyway. Putting him at second receiver seems odd

• Injuries in general. No Read, Whitelock, Dagg, etc

• Rustiness will probably be a factor for the share fact that the team seems to have changed so much. Hodgman and Tupou are there for a reason, but against the best side in the competition, we really would have needed our top combinations.

We need to be much more aggressive in our defense than we were last week. We need sting in our tackles like we did a few years ago. The Tahs may have been dirty in their win over us, but one thing they did better was this speed in defense. We were too passive. We need to get good go-forward ball and be patient. DON'T need to keep trying to pop that extra pass and end up knocking it on. Should also avoid kicking to their back three - although if there is an opportunity to kick to land and not to hand .. take it.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Great game from the Crusaders - too little, too late?

 

[Kiwi_]

Good game, Hurricanes scored one of the tries of the season. Great to see Dan back as well, he's such a machine.

1. Carter looked himself back at 10. Good news for the AB's IF he can stay fit, I pray he does.

2. I wish Nadolo was a Kiwi.

3. Fuean has always been better than Crotty

4. Skudder did well on the wing. Showed his versatility for a nearly certain All Blacks jersey.

5. Ardie Savea is the future

6. Thrush doesn't completely convince me, Broadhurst really does.

7. Vito needed to start, Hurricanes line out was a shambles.

8. Nonu had a forgettable game, can be casual at times.

9. Marshall will never be good enough for the All Blacks.

10. Todd is quality.

 

[MotherRucker1]

Woo! Something to cheer about

Happy with the win; pitty it came at the expense of a couple of injuries for New Zealand's top side. Both side's lineouts were shocking, but last week or whenever I did post in the "Run to the Finals" thread that this was the 'Canes archilles heel. Not sure why the commentators keep saying "it's been good for the Hurricanes all season." It has not. The Canes lineout success rate is well down. Aside from the lineout stuff, was happy with our scrums and the general play round the field by the younger guys.

Carter looked better in 10 and has done all season. Where he usually struggles is when he's placed in a position where he isn't *just* directing the backline but has to attack a little more (i.e: 12) and that's just not where he thrives most. I do think a Crotty/Fruean combo in the midfield could work? But they both have different skill sets which could compliment each other well. Having Robbie there made all the difference, and I've been saying that all year. We NEED guys who can offload and break tackles with power - not a backline clogged with skinny white ball distributors.

Yellow card was nonsense. He was clearly committed - the referee even acknowledged that. But I disagree with "driven into the dirt" .. he did no such thing. As soon as contact was made there was nothing to indicate that Fruean made it more dramatic by shunting him into the ground. The Canes player was just hit by a strong tackle that was committed to early. Not sure about one of our tries though tbh so luck swung on both sides in this match.

Skudder did some good stuff, but wasn't outstanding - certainly puts things in perspective. Yeah, when he's at the cake tin having one good year surrounded by the a bunch of in-form All Blacks he does marvelous. But when the test gets put on like it was tonight is when things are most telling. Nonu probably had his worst game of the season.

 

[smartcooky]

Just arrived home after walking back from Trafalgar Park..WHERE THE HELL HAS THAT CRUSADERS TEAM BEEN ALL SEASON???

Nadolo is a beast!!! I would not want to be the guy who has the responsibility of tackling him all afternoon. He makes very good defences look ordinary.

Carter looks much better at 10, and I think the back-line seemed to operate better with him there too. The head's up play with the kick for Nadolo's win to create the last try was the Dan Carter of old.

10. Todd is quality.

Todd isn't just quality, he's pure class!!

 

[MotherRucker1]

What about Jordan Taufua though? If he isn't an All Black after the World Cup then somethings up. I made a solid case for him a few weeks back. One of the few Crusaders guys you can genuinely say has been in form all season (excluding defense perhaps.)

 

[Kiwi_]

Skudder did some good stuff, but wasn't outstanding - certainly puts things in perspective. Yeah, when he's at the cake tin having one good year surrounded by the a bunch of in-form All Blacks he does marvelous. But when the test gets put on like it was tonight is when things are most telling. Nonu probably had his worst game of the season.

You're too harsh of a critic of Skudder, the guy has earned a spot in the Samoa and Championship games, let's see how he goes before we just call him a SR hero which I know is a common thing in NZ and they don't take it to tests, but his skill set, feet and vision is top notch, I think he will make you eat your words in the up coming years. I believe, he was a stand out performer in an otherwise poor Hurricanes game, along with Ardie Savea and Broadhurst. So he proves another option for 14 and 15 and gives us less of a worry about Piutau and Dagg.


Also this proves what a donk Blackadder really is. Crusaders would probably be in with the Chiefs and Highlanders if someone with a few more brains was taking the team. Who knew Carter was good at 10? Oh that's right, the whole bloody world for the past decade, what a barnacle.

 

[MotherRucker1]

I don't have a problem with Skudder.

But it's World Cup year. You don't cap new players on World Cup year if you can avoid it (like posters on here seem super eager to do with the likes of Skudder, Webber, Naholo, etc), and imo Skuds was quiet tonight. Not bad like Nonu necesarily. I hope he is an All Black in future, but I'm not talking about "the coming years."

 

[Kiwi_]

I don't have a problem with Skudder.

But it's World Cup year. You don't cap new players on World Cup year if you can avoid it (like posters on here seem super eager to do with the likes of Skudder, Webber, Naholo, etc), and imo Skuds was quiet tonight. Not bad like Nonu necesarily. I hope he is an All Black in future, but I'm not talking about "the coming years."

He wasn't quiet. Beautiful instep and pass to put Savea under on their 2nd try. Made some good runs and crucial tackles as well, when put back in full back he was solid. I understand the new cap attitude, because they're big games and pressure situations and it's better to have leveled headed guys there. I would take Dagg and Piutau over him if they were fit, but I really don't think they're going to be, unless Dagg returns early in the Championship and Hansen plays him the whole duration of the tournament (doubt it with Ben Smith there) and same goes of Piutau. So I think we need to be realistic and look for some serious full back and 14 depth.

The play-offs might prove how he goes under pressure games.

 

[MotherRucker1]

The work was done before Skudder made his contribution on that try though. Wasn't it Ardie who ran it all the way up (I get Ardie confused with his brother because they seem to be as quick as each other). Like I said, he made some nice touches. I'm not saying he played horrendously, I'm just saying when the pressure is applied he wasn't able to make those blistering runs and to me that makes him more quiet than usual. Playing well at the cake tin in an in-form side is one thing. Standing out in a losing side is an even bigger thing, and I don't think he did.

 

[Kiwi_]

The work was done before Skudder made his contribution on that try though. Wasn't it Ardie who ran it all the way up (I get Ardie confused with his brother because they seem to be as quick as each other). Like I said, he made some nice touches. I'm not saying he played horrendously, I'm just saying when the pressure is applied he wasn't able to make those blistering runs and to me that makes him more quiet than usual.

He was playing on the wing. I think he adapted his game great. Especially with the lack of quality ball the Hurricanes gave him.

 

[MotherRucker1]

Not really.

The Hurricanes spent a fair bit of time in the Crusaders 22 as the match progressed, particularly towards the end and I didn't see anything that screamed out "select me over Ben Smith, Dagg or Piutau". That standard would have to be pretty high to achieve anyway, and it's not like he proved a match winner or anything. He linked up for a neat interchange - any competent backline player involved in a strong run by Savea should be able to assist in that, it wasn't too complex. The pressure was just on tonight, that was the difference. I'm sure he'll stand up again when they're back in Wellington.

 

[Kiwi_]

He was playing out off position and the Hurricanes have taken the foot of the pedal a little. I don't think it had anything to do with pressure, Smith and Nonu were the culprits this game and failed to get decent ball through the back line, apart from the good 2nd try. Skudder was fine out wide. Made good runs and the instep and pass was class. No one said to select him over those 3, I even said that myself, but gave the reasons if he was selected, being Dagg and Piutau injured, because he's the 4th best full back in the country at the moment. Logical and perfectly justified option.

I don't feel like repeating myself again.

 

[MotherRucker1]

Many people have said take Skudder to the World Cup, but I'm not going to scroll back through the forum to find those quotes - they are there. Same as Webber. Same as Naholo. People have been beating those drums for awhile now. You seem to be confusing a quiet game for having a BAD game, which is something I never said. I said he made some nice touches but was quiet, as in not outstanding. Outstanding or anything other than "good touches" would be how Nadolo played tonight. I don't think Skudder was able to find a way to utilize his agility and speed in the way Nadolo utilized his raw power. Some weeks you're able to, other weeks you don't. I just thought it was interesting that away from home on a bad night Skudder wasn't able to stand out quite as much. "But it didn't go his way" you might say, good players find a way to get stuck in and get involved themselves tbh. Thought the miscommunication between Nonu and Skudder was a blight on both of them as well which did lead to a try. Figured those two could have worked that out between them.

You seem to be a bit confused about what I'm actually saying. Just go back and have a read again. You took one part of my personal match review and blew it was out of proportion and started talking about the "coming years" and me being too harsh on Skudder. I never actually said anything bad. I just thought a night like this puts things in perspective, and that was how I saw things. If you saw things differently, that's fine.

 

[Kiwi_]

Marshall was really poor as well, had opportunities to put Skudder into space and didn't, some times it is your team mates who can't work you into the game. Julian Savea had an uncharacteristic quiet game also. Canes in general did, I honestly don't think Skudder had a quiet game at all, I thought he was one of 3 stand outs for the Hurricanes, the way he looked to keep the play alive when he made that break was awesome, great foot work, vision and initiative, surrounded by Crusaders and no Canes in sight (not talking about the 2nd try).

They have to give this kid a chance with our injury list at 15, that's all I'm saying, I'm not saying take him to the WC yet, watch him in the play-offs, give him some game time in the Championship & Samoa test and we will see, if Dagg and Piutau return from injury, then great, problem solved, but I wouldn't shut this kid out because you're scared to cap him in a World Cup year, he was my ITM player of the year with Manawatu, the kid is class.

 

[MotherRucker1]

Some of what you mention is true, there were "good touches". But a stand out? Outstanding? On the same level as some of the Crusaders guys? I don't think so, I've seen him do much better in a home environment where things are more comfortable. If there are injuries, then sure, take him along - but if you can avoid, then do. That would be my position. Because I don't believe he's that much better than our other three options. Dagg maybe since he hasn't had consistent game time to keep his form at a reasonable level.

People have accused Thrush of having a quiet season, I think he tried his best to get involved tonight and had some good runs.

 

[Kiwi_]

A stand out for the Canes, not the game and I mentioned it's unfortunate Nadolo isn't Kiwi, him and Savea on the wings.. my God.

But we're talking one game here (where the Hurricanes feel comfortable at top), so yes, over the season, he has been better than the Crusader guys.

Broadhurst was better, constantly breaks the advantage line.

 

[MotherRucker1]

He wasn't a stand out though. Just watched some of the footage again, there was a nice step in there, but he certainly didn't pull off the well placed kick, or go on the blistering run like Savea or maintain his balance like Smith. I didn't think there was anything complex about his movement. I never said this was typical of Skudder, I just said it's one game, away from home, where the pressure was on - keeps things in perspective.

 

[timesnog]

Does anyone have a Super Rugby Table Calculator so I can calculate the rest of the rounds and see if 4 New Zealand teams can still make it. In as many ways as possible.


Well I did it myself anyway, with a very possible result, including 4 try and losing bonus points.

1. Hurricanes 62
2. Warratahs 52
3. Stormers 47

4. Chiefs 55
5. Highlanders 53
6. Crusaders 45

7. Bulls 45
8. Brumbies 44
9. Lions 41
10. Rebels 35
11. Sharks 33
12. Force 23
13. Blues 21
14. Cheetahs 20
15. Reds 18